Shadow of the Colossus: Atonement of Sins
by Kei Misaki
Summary: A new era of Colossi are born, and a new age of fighters are formed to slay the corrupt beasts. To keep the land in peace they sacrifice everything they have to keep their world safe. However something goes wrong...
1. Prologue

Shadow of the Colossus: Atonement of Sins

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**Disclaimer! In no way am I trying to steal the idea of the game for my own. This is just a fanfic of what could happen if I controlled the SOTC universe. By the way…please buy the game! It's so awesome that it would make you leave your family, quit your job, and join the hobo brigade! And maybe write some crappy fan fiction to commemorate the game.**

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**Beginning of Prologue**

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"Hey! What are you doing?" The question echoed throughout the mountain side.

"Huh?" Shocked, the young girl swiftly turned around, her auburn hair swaying over her face forcefully. A young man stood before her, holding a black colored sheath in one hand and a handful of arrows in another. Unknowingly understanding the situation she was in, she faced her accuser with a mild sense of discomfort, shielding her eyes from the sun with her right hand.

"Well?" He asked again, but with a slight tone of authority.

"Nothing…" Shifting her eyes toward the ground, the intensity of the light was becoming too much to bear.

"This place is not for tourists, you know? You shouldn't be here…" He paused in hesitation, allowing the words to set in place.

Curiously, she glanced back at the caverns ahead of her then turned back around. "Why?"

The sunlight suddenly seemed to dissipate from her view allowing her to see who she was talking to. A boy, apparently the same age as her, was standing before her. Buckling the sheathed sword onto his belt, he used his free hand to shift his dark azure hair away from his eyes. Sighing, he gazed back at her with a slight smile hidden in his facial features.

"No reason. But you should get out of there before anything happens." He extended his hand towards her and she blindly accepted it. However, before she could take a step away from the cave something clutched onto her leg with perseverance and vigor. She was unable to speak from shock. She tried to shake it loose but that only caused the hold to tighten. The "arm" slowly started to dig into her skin causing her to yelp in pain. The young man, who was trying to lead her out of the cave, finally noticed her distress and turned hastily to see what was wrong. She looked to him, as a saint, and yelled.

"Help! Please!" But all the man did was stare; his mouth gaped opened and his eyes widened from amazement. The "arm" that was gripping her leg now started to pull her to the cavern that she was exploring freely a little while ago.

"Ahh! It's pulling me in! Help me!" The man snapped out of his daze and unsheathed his sword, which was lined with beautiful blue markings. Running in the direction of the assailant he swiftly swung his sword fiercely, severing the lethal grip off of the girl's leg. She fell; face down to the ground, from the force of the grip. The man stood his ground facing the cavern with intense fury.

"Don't lay your hands upon this girl. She isn't what you want."

"Ow…" The girl lifted herself from the floor and turned her head to the back of her. The man was still standing strong, with his sword beside him. He glanced back to see her staring at him in astonishment. He smiled back at her and returned his stare toward the darkness of the cave.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything touch you." He said with reassured eyes. He then pointed the sword upwards, aiming towards the shadows of the grotto. He then, surprisingly, forced the sword into the ground.

"Shit! I completely forgot that you need light for this to work." He faced the girl that was lying on the ground and started dashing towards her. He reached for her arm and pulled it over his head allowing his other arm to rest on her hip.

"Wha- What are you doing?!" She yelled, flustered at his quick approach to her.

"We gotta get outta here into the light." He muttered. Or else we're screwed." He continued to tug them both to the entrance of the cave.

"Almost there…" He started becoming more anxious and nervous by the second, gritting his teeth from frustration. The girl, not feeling any better from the wound in her leg, started to heave herself with all the strength she had left to leaving the cave. It seemed to be the best solution, with how the situation was. Finally they made it outside, gasping and panting from what they had to endure those five minutes.

All of a sudden, black tentacles reached out from the cave and slammed the man into the mountain side. The "arms" then grabbed the girl and started to pull her back into the cave. She started screaming and tried to hit it with her fists, but with no avail. The man hurriedly staggered to his feet and started running towards the girl but it was too late. She was lunged into the depths of the cave.

"_She wasn't…one…"_

"…_I was!"_

"_Do you….she…can…?"_

"_Why…did you…!"_

"_Don't …o…it!"_

"…_.save…me…"_

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**End of Prologue**

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**Author Comments:** This is one of my first stories online so please comment or criticize about anything on my fanfic. I know you may not understand the plot right now but this is only the beginning. Please e-mail on any questions you may have. UPDATE NEXT WEEK ON TUESDAY!!


	2. Chapter 1: A Path of Confusion

**Chapter 1: A Path of Confusion**

"Cuu…"

"Cuu…Cuu…" Birds fluttered around the hall, surrounding an unconscious girl on the ground.

_("What is that? Are those…birds? ")_ The young girl's hand twitched in reaction to the animal's voices. Groaning, she slowly began opening her eyes; her body aching painfully. In the end, she managed to pull herself up with whatever strength she had left to sitting up properly on the ground. Her hand started to skim the floor, feeling the texture of the ground. She placed her hand on top of her head to calm the unending headache that consumed her mind, while still tried to comprehend what had happened just a little while earlier. "I wonder…where that guy went…" she whispered to herself.

_("Wait a minute…Concrete?")_ She looked at the ground to see, not dirt, but stunning tile work. Shocked, she started to study the room she was in with great urgency. "Where's the cave?!" she shouted, but soon after, she quickly covered her mouth from fear of the monster that attacked her from before. She glanced around to examine the immense hallway she was in; in awe of the beautiful room. It was curiously filled with statues of creatures, that she was strangely unfamiliar with; all in line against the walls around her. She gradually removed her hands from her mouth and placed them to the floor near her sides.

"What exactly…happened…?" she asked softly, her hands shaking with alarm and panic; unaware of her new unfamiliar surroundings.

"Cuu…" The girl looked back up rapidly and unexpectedly found numerous groups of doves around her. None seem to have taken any notice to her, just fussing over their own feathers and such. The girl unsteadily began to calm down a little noticing that none of the doves were frightened. ("_If the birds are at peace then you are innocent...I guess that old man's words really do come in handy.") _The girl thought curiously. She pushed her knees to the ground and forced herself to stand up. However, she stumbled back to the floor; grasping on to her leg that had begun to painfully throb. She turned around to see how terrible the injury was, only to see it bandaged with a white cloth engraved with some words. The fabric read, "In the fear of darkness lies the untainted light of pure hope…" Asami tilted her head; intrigued by the strange words of wisdom etched onto the cloth. ("_I wonder who did this? Maybe that guy from earlier is still here…") _She thought hopefully.

She crawled over to a nearby wall of the corridor and grasped on to the pillars that surrounded one of the animal statues. Using it as leverage, she began to steady her self off of the ground; little by little. Eventually she managed to walk, conversely, limping along the way. Gripping the handles of the wall, she shuffled to the end of the corridor towards the only area completely engulfed with light. The bizarre thing, that Asami noticed, was that it was the only place that the birds did not want to go near. While getting closer to the end of the hall, she realized the light seemed to get brighter by each step she took. She took her hand, which was not holding herself against the wall, as a shield for her eyes. Finally it had gotten to the point where she was unable to actually see anymore, so she left her eyes closed; using the wall as her guide.

"I hope the light isn't blinding anymore…" With that response she peaked opened her eyes, bit by bit. The light was now not as intense as before so she confidently looked forward only to see the most extraordinary things imaginable. Beautiful fields, filled with flourishing lilies, had lavished the landscape. In the, not to far off, distance laid magnificent mountains covered with moss and foliage. The sky was clear blue with astounding birds that seemed foreign to the young girl. Which, living a sheltered life, would cause you to not know the remarkable beauties of the world.

"Where…in the world am I?" Her eyes, still investigating the new and innovated world she was in, were still wide filled with bewilderment and yet…a hint of excitement. Suddenly, the doves from only a little while ago, took flight right around her. "Kyaaa!!" She screamed from surprise, falling back onto the ground she had tried so hard to get up from. Taken aback, she watched the birds fly away with impulsiveness and haste. "What's with those guys?" She muttered to herself. However what she did not know, was that right behind her, were seven white robed individuals waiting for her to turn around.

**End of Chapter 1: A Path of Confusion**


	3. Chapter 2: The Buried Secret

**Chapter 2: The Buried Secret of the Forbidden Lands**

"Where exactly am I?" She asked; leaving the question unanswered to echo against the walls of the statue filled room. She began to climb onto the walls again, trying to stand up as she did before. After finally accomplishing this, she sighed in dismay and concern, looking towards the unfamiliar outside world. "What am I going to do?"

"…_What are you supposed to do…?" _

"Who said that?" She demanded, glancing around the room for an answer. _"We are the ones who cause you…apprehension…" _The voices declared. The girl turned furiously around to face not just one accuser, but seven. Seven white robed individuals; each covering their faces with hoods to prevent identification. "Eh?" The girl remained motionless, still not understanding what was going on.

"_What is your name child?"_ They asked with quiet assertiveness. "What?" Her eyes widened from confusion of the sudden question. _"Do not allow us to ask again. You do know how to speak? Or have you forgotten?"_ This time their comment was more hostile than considerate. Irritated, the girl countered their response. "I'm not stupid if that's what you mean! My name is Asami Hayata, thank you very much!" Her tone of voice was mocking and cynical.

"_Strange…We do not recall your name…"_ The voices were filled with a strange sense of confusion and uncertainty. "Well…" she began, "I don't remember actually…" she studied them relentlessly trying to pinpoint the sole speaker of the group, "giving my name to you people..." She finally said reluctantly, still not having discovered the individual. _"Of course you don't, for you have never told us. No one has…we are all knowing."_ They spoke now in a feeling of understanding and wisdom. "Who are you?" Asami asked defiantly. _"We are known as many names. However, if you wish to know…we are called The Council." _

"The…Coun…cil?" Asami repeated it slowly, trying to understand its meaning. _"Yes." _They responded with simplicity._ "We are the ones who guard these lands. Which, in any case, protect our true world." _Asami, perplexed at this notion, retorted. "What do you mean our true world? Are you saying there is not just one world?" The council, gradually raise their hands to address the issue with urgency but with no effort. _"There is just one. However, there are two kinds of worlds that live in that one world."_ They then lift one hand higher than the other. _"A land of light; pure with the essence of beauty and good."_ Afterwards, they raised their other hand. _"And a land of Dark, tainted with the heart of dread and evil." _ Finally they signal their hands to form a sphere representing a planet. _"We are the ones who bring balance to both worlds, to keep a false sense of harmony and peace."_ Asami tilted her head in confusion from their peculiar responses.

"_You do not need to ask anymore questions now. For now you shall answer ours."_ The council placed their hands down to their sides but quickly raised one arm, pointing in accusation at Asami. _"Why are you here?"_ Their voice was more menacing and hostile than before. Asami flinched from the sudden interrogation that she had blindly walked into. "I…" Asami started to speak but soon lost her words from anxiety and panic. She started to glance around the room, looking for answers becoming restless and nervous. The Council, however, stood solemn and silent as they did before; awaiting a response. "I...I don't…know…"

"_Are you a fool? How do you not know your reason? Are you blind to the world?" _They yelled in retaliation. _"Silence! I believe she is not a replacement, nor a fool." _Asami stood dumbfounded; watching their struggle that they were having amongst themselves. _("Is it just me…or does it seem that when every time they speak…they take on a new personality?") _The council, finished with their quarrel, turn to her with an obscure sense of compassion and care. _"Are you lost, young child?"_

Asami looked up to them and slowly nodded; concerned of her consequences of her actions. _"This is most strange. We must address this issue immediately."_ The council, once again, began to discuss amongst themselves; searching for an answer for their immediate problem. Asami continued to stare at them, surprised by the whole situation she had placed herself in. _"We cannot continue to speak here. Child, you shall stay in this building until we say otherwise."_

Asami, stunned at their sudden conclusion, spoke out in reprisal. "Wait! All you have to say is stay here until we tell you what to do? I want answers! Where am I? Who are you really? What happened to that boy I was with? And what the hell was that thing that attacked me?!" They stood motionless, awaiting more from the frightened young girl. _"Is that all?"_ Asami, panting from lack of air, nods in reply. _"You…are in the place called The Forbidden Lands."_ Asami waited for more; however, all The Council concluded their answers with a statement. _"We do not need to tell you any more."_

"WHA?!" She shouted in disbelief. "Hold on a second! That was only one…answe…r…"Before she could ask anymore questions, she was unable to see clearly. She shuffled her feet around the room, trying to keep up standing. _"Do not worry. You shall awake in due time."_ The voices seemed more distant and difficult to hear and Asami slowly dropped to her knees and fell to the ground. Soon after, she fell into a seemingly deep sleep.

**End of** **Chapter 2: The Buried Secret of the Forbidden Lands**


	4. Chapter 3: The Sleeping Child Awakens

**Chapter 3: The Sleeping Child Awakens**

"_What shall we do with the girl?"_

"_It's obvious what we should do. We should send her back and retrieve the true fighter."_

"_You know well that that is impossible."_

"_Yes…especially since a cursed embodiment brought her here..."_

"_How exactly did this happen without us knowing?"_

"_Be quiet! There is only one solution to this problem."_

"…"

"_Make her the replacement! Everything is already prepared for…even her sacrifice is here…"_

"Gasp!" Asami hurriedly took a large intake of breath; hastily opening her eyes. Still lying on the ground, she stared upward towards the ceiling, remaining still on the concrete. She slowly rose from the ground, her back arched and arms lifted to the sky; stretching out her untrained muscles. Asami glanced around the room; promptly allowing herself a sigh of relief. _(There's no one here.)_ She examined the room again, trying to find anything that caught her eye; admittedly tired of the same dubious routine. The pristine room was spacious and seemingly empty, filled with boxes and dust. _("At least it's better than that hallway full of freaks…" _She thought carelessly.

"…co…h…re…" A whisper quietly drifted through the room; echoing against the walls and storage. Questioningly, Asami started to gaze towards the direction from whence the soft voice came from. There laid a door, slightly opened, at the corner of the room. "Is…someone there?" Asami asked uncertainly. "…th…is…way…" The whisper persistently continued, alluring her to follow. "Hello?" Asami, exhausted of the unanswered questions, lifted herself up from the floor. _("Something…seems different…")_ She glanced downward to the floor to see that the bandage on her leg was gone. Crouching back on to the floor, she skimmed her hand along side her leg; where her wound was supposed to be. Asami quickly looked back up at the door once again, now even more curious of who was watching over her. Cautiously, she paced herself toward the exit, cracking the firm door open. Eventually she slowly found the courage to look through.

She glanced left and right noticing that there was no one in the hallway. "H…ello?" Asami murmured softly. The whispered voice from earlier didn't respond to her. "Creepy…I wonder who said that…?" She asked herself. She quickly shuffled out of the enclosed room, quietly shutting the door behind her. She looked around the hallway that she was in, spotting shut doors along the walls. _("Which way should I go?")_ Before she herself could think of anything, she began to hear something to the left of her. Stepping forward a little she heard the sounds getting louder. Further along the way, the noise gradually became more rowdy and blaring. While listening to the strange clatter of, what seemed to be voices, she noticed a lighted room near the end of the corridor. When Asami was close enough to the rigid door she leaned against the nearest wall to her, to avoid herself being seen. She squatted on to the floor near the barely opened door and slowly began to peer into the lighted room. Groups of men were standing around inside, seemingly waiting for something to happen.

"It's strange. Knowing that in any moment, one of us is going to have to be first." Said one man; his back facing the door.

Another man turned to face him with a serious look in his eyes. "Do we have to talk about that now? I feel sick enough as it is." He seemed strangely nauseous and upset by the earlier comment.

"Aww…poor you." Began another individual; his voice, callous and uncaring. "Let's all take pity on the man that signed up for this!" He gritted his teeth from frustration and continued to stare back at the upset man with his dark blue eyes.

"C'mon Hamacho-san..." A blond haired man stepped forward, confident and poised securely. "You know you're thinking the same thing as the rest of us." He motioned the others in the room to settle down so that he could continue to speak. "So let's calm down, shall we?"

The blue eyed man shrugged and sat down in stubbornness alongside the other men in the room. Asami continued to listen in, her curiosity taking over. Her eyes slowly browsed through the room, which she could barely see, catching sights of several bookcases that were placed alongside the walls. She stopped to notice a black haired man holding a stick in his mouth near the shelves. His posture seemed to show that he was lacking in any enthusiasm or willingness of, or for, anything.

"When is that guy supposed to get here? The black haired man started, yanking the stick out of his mouth, to continue with his banter. "We have been waiting for a whole day."

The blond individual, from earlier, coincided with the other man. "Yes…it is strange that The Council would actually wait this long. I wonder what's wrong?" His eyes, glanced up at the ceiling of the room, trying to search for an answer.

"The later it is the better, I think." This time a young boy responded, holding a book in his hand. "Gives me a good chance to read up on the books around here." He begins to skim through the pages of the book he was clutching, displaying his interest greatly.

"Looks like we got ourselves a learner here." The blond headed man exclaimed, smirking in amusement. Everyone began to chuckle, easing whatever stress was in the room.

"Shut up Keiji!" The boy yelled; not proud of the whole statement presented. Everyone continued to laugh, even the ones that never seemed to talk.

"I heard a little while ago that The Council-" Everyone immediately stopped snickering and turned to face the speaker with unending curiosity. The man, that was addressing the issue stopped in surprise, but continued with the concern at hand. "-finished with their discussion and that the fighter will be here soon." The green haired man began to adjust his headband awkwardly; finished with what he had to say.

"Well thank god! I'm totally riled up for this competition." Another man stood up from the floor, holding his fists up in the air.

"Are you kidding? You must be retarded." The man kept his arms to his sides, sneering back at the guy that was inspired to fight. "No! I'm not!" Soon the room became loud and deafening with voices as it did before.

Asami continued to eavesdrop on them, wondering if it was safe to actually talk to them. _("They did talk about the council…which isn't really good…") _She thought, still a little discouraged. All of the sudden the door, that she was looking through, opened immediately and swiftly. There stood in front door was a young man, his hair colored dirty blonde and his eyes were bright and blue. He appeared apparently stunned of her suspicious behavior, after all, she was crouching near the entrance of the room; suspiciously. He gained his composure back, in a significant amount of time, and revealed a considerate grin on his face.

"Why…hello…" He said reluctantly, his hand still on the door's handle. Asami looked up at him, stunned at his laid-back reaction. However she wasn't as gifted as him to stay as calm and collected as he was.

"AHHHHHH!" She screamed in withdraw, and jumped from the ground. Staggering, she headed down the hallway from where she started from originally hurriedly. The man, estrange by her reaction, calls out for her to stop.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" He rushed from his room and began to pursue her. She ran for what seemed like ages, through corridors and passageways trying to lose him. Finally, Asami turned a corner and unluckily found a dead end.

"Who made the blueprints for this stupid place?!" She shouted in disbelief and fury. She hastily turned around, still panting from running, and found the nameless man right at the other end of the hallway. She started to back up to the wall, keeping herself pinned there.

"Stay back! Get away!" She shouted. He raised his hands above his head, trying to signal her that he wasn't going to try anything.

"I'm not going to hurt you so just relax, ok?" He calmly spoke to her to keep her at ease. Asami tilted her head in puzzlement, checking to see if he was telling the truth or not. He became aware that she was starting to settle down, so he slowly paced forward to her.

"Listen…I was wondering…" He took another step forward, testing to see if she would try anything else. "If I may?" He asked hastily. Her eyes narrowed at his words. "Ask you a question?" He continued to walk to her, but with more assertiveness. Asami thought about it and nodded her head with, of course, a bit of uneasiness. The man, understanding her fear, kept his hands in the air.

He stopped about a couple of feet away from her. "Who are you exactly?" His face filled with interest and skepticism.

"My name is…Asami…Hayata…" She responded reluctantly.

"Hello Hayata-san, my name is Keiji Nishimura. Now…how in the world did you end up here?" He asked in a thoughtful tone.

"I'm…not really sure..." She began. "I mean…I don't even know where the hell I am, you know…?" She laughed uneasily. He relaxed his arms back to his sides but, carefully, reached his hand out to her.

"Would you like to come with me?" He asked vigilantly. She glanced at his hand cautiously and looked back up to see the man's blue eyes watching her intently. Sighing warily, she conscientiously made her decision.

**End of Chapter 3: The Sleeping Child Awakens**


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